Loose-leaf binder



May 26, 1925.

H. .I. SILVERMAN LOOSE LEAF ammsn Filed Oct. 12, 1923 2 s et s gt 1 ATTORNEY -May 26, 1925.

, H. J. SILVERMAN LOOSE LEAF BINDER Filed Oct. 12, 192;

2 .Shets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR 6 J 5 dyer/12m? ATTORNEY Fatented Eti, 1925.

PATENT OFFICE.

HARRY J. SILVERM'AN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

LOOSE-LEAF BINDER.

Application filed October 12, 1923.

To aZZ iii/zomit may concern.

Be it known that I, IIARRYVJI Sinvnniimrr, a citiyen of the United States, and resident of New York city, in the county of Bronx and State 01 New York, have invented corthe leaves or sheets being 'pivotally connected with said members.

An ob]ect of my invention s to provide simple and improved means adapted to retain the leaf or sheet clamping members in dill'erent positions as desired, whereby be members may be held lirinly pressed against the leaves or sheets to retain the latter bound for use and said members maybe separated and retained in such position while leaves or sheets are being inserted and removed, a :turther object being to so arrange locking devices for said members that they may be readily released for separation of the members and whereby the members may be clamped against the interposed leaves 01 sheets by merely pushing one of the members toward the other without requiring manipulation of other parts 01 the device for such (purpose.

lily invention also comprises novel details ot improvement that will be more fully hereinatter set forth and then pointed out in the claims.

te'lerence is to be had to the acconipanying drawings forming a part. hereof, wherein- Fig. 1 is a plan view, partly broken, illustrating a binder embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is an edge view of Fig. 1;

3 is a cross section on line 3, 3, inFig. 1, showing parts in leaf-clamping position;

Fig. t is a view similar to Fig. 8, showing the clamping Il'lGl'l'iiJGl'S in separated posi tion;

Fig. 5 is a cross section on line 5, 5, in Fig. 1;

Serial No. 668,048.

Fig. 6 is a partly sectional detail view of the locking devices showing the same in separated relation, and

Fig. 7 is a detail of a portion of one of the loose leaves or sheets.

Similar nui'nerals o't reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views.

The numerals 1 and 2 indicate opposing}; clamping members of the binder between which the'leaves or sheets 8 are to be retained. The member 1 may be termed a base member and the member 2 may be termed a movable member. Covers 1, 5 are hinged to the members 1 and 2 respectively by the corresponding hinges 6, 7. The members 1 and 2 are shown provided with overlapping rear walls 1, 2 to protect the inner or bound edges 01 the leaves. The members 1, 2 are guided tor relative movement toward and from one another by means of telescopic posts shown comprising an inner tube 8 and an outer tube 9, riveted at their outer ends to members 1, 2 by means of shoulders S, 9 on one side of niembersl, 2 the outer ends of said tubes being riveted loosely against members 1, 2, which allows the tubes to freely telescope in a well-known way. The tube 8 has an outwardly bent edge 8* and the tube 9 has a corresponding inwardly bent edge 9, which edges are adapted to engage to prevent separation of the telescopic tubes when the members 1, 2 have been spread to their limit. Springs 10 are shown within the telescopic tubes and retained by studs 11, 12, which springs tend normally to separate the members 1 and 2 whenthey are released. The parts so far described are generally of an ordinary construction. The leaves or sheets 3 are provided at one of their edges with spaced openings 3 having slots 3 ,owhereby the leaves may be applied to and removed from the posts 8, 9. Facing pieces 13, 1 1 are shown upon the members 1, 2 respectively and secured by rivets or screws.

I provide locking means to retain the members 1, EZclamped against the sheets 3 and also in separated or spaced relation to permit insertion and removal of leaves, for which purpose I provide telescopically arranged tubes 15, 16 between. members 1, 2,

and preferably located in the line of the tubes 8, 9 so as to receive the slotted portions of the leaves or sheets in the same manner as the tubes 8, 9. Locking devices are provided to releasably secure the tubes 15, 16 together in different positions of adjustment. There may be one or more pairs of tubes 15, 16 with their corresponding locking devices according to the dimensions and requirements of the binder. In the example illustrated the tubes 15 are loosely attached to base 1 by means of shoulders 15' resting under base 1, the adjacent ends of the tubes being against the facing piece 13, and the tubes 16 are fitted loosely or freely in holes in the member 2 and rest thereon at their heads 16, to telescope within the tubes 15. The loose connection of tubes 15, 16 with members 1, 2 permits the tubes to slide freely. In the example illustrated the bore 16 of tube 16 has a relatively small diameter near one end and a relatively large diameter at the other end providing a shoulder at 16 against which a spiral spring 17 bears. The tube 16 is provided with one or more holes 18 communicating with its bore and adapted to receive friction members, such as balls or rolls 19 that are of such dimensions as to project inwardly into bore 16 when tube 16 is within tube 15. A controlling member or pin for the balls is inclicated at 20 adapted to slide within the bore in tube 16 and provided with an outer end or stop 21 against which the spring 17 normally bears tending to push controlling member 20 outwardly. The inner end of the controlling member 20 is reduced and provided with a tapering head 20 extending from the stem portion 20 that tapers from said head toward the main portion of member 20', (Fig. 6), the parts 20 and 20 being adapted to slide within the smaller diameter of the bore 16" of tube 16 adjacent to the holes 18, and to cooperate with the balls or rolls 19.

hen the locking devices are assembled, as in Figs. 3 and 4, and the spring 17 pushes the member 20 outwardly respecting tube 16 the tapering head 20 will tend to force the balls 19 outwardly through holes 18 into frictional engagement with the wall of the bore of tube 15, thereby locking the parts 15 and 16 together against outward separation, yet the tube 16 may be pushed into tube 15 carrying member 20 and balls 19 with it, since the pressure of the balls 19 against tube 15 will be sufficiently relieved against the wall of the bore of tube 15 to permit such relative movement of said tubes, by reason of the tapering shape of the stem 20*. Vhen it is desired to separate the members 1, 2 the pressure of the balls 19 againstthe tube 15 is released, for which purpose the controlling member 20 is pushed inwardly, as illustrated in Fig. 5, which causes the tapering stem 20 to be displaced with relation to the locking position of the balls 19, the reduced portion of stem 20 then being presented opposite said balls 19 whereby the latter will be free from the tube 15, so that the tube 16 readily may be drawn outwardly respecting tube 15. 7

To permit ready operation of controlling members 20, that is to say, to permit said members to be pushed inwardly from the position shown in Fig. 4 to the position shown in Fig. 5, so that the tubes 16 may be drawn outwardly respecting the tubes 15, I provide a sliding bar 22 that is shown guided to slide longitudinally upon memher 2 by means of rivets 2 that are screwed in the member 2 and enter slots 22 in bar 22. Bar 22 is provided with cam-like or inclined surface 22 adapted to engage the adjacent head 21 of the corresponding controlling member 20 whereby when said bar is pushed to the right in Figs. 3 and 4 cam surface 22 will engage the head 21 and push the corresponding member 20 inwardly within tube 16 to cause the balls 19 to be released from pressure against tube 15, (Fig. 5). A spring 23, shown attached at one end to the bar 22 by a screw 24 and at the other end to facing piece 14 by screw 25, tends normally to draw the bar 22 into position to release the cam or inclined surface 22 from the adjacent head 21 of the corresponding controlling member 20. The bar 22 is shown provided with stop 22 adapted to engage the adjacent end of member 2 to regulate the normal or inactive position of cam surface 22 with respect to the adjacent head 21, (Figs. 2 and 4). The bent end 22 of member 22 affords a convenient finger piece by which to push bar 22 to the right in Figs. 3 and 4. Bar 22 is provided with slots 22 that receive the springs 10 so as not to interfere with the sliding of said bar. A recessed or cut-out part 2 (Fig. 1) at the end of member 2 adjacent to the finger piece 22 permits said finger piece to be pushed the required distance. Bar 22 is guided between member 2 and facing piece 14.

When the leaves or shccts 3 are to be inserted in or removed from the binder the bar 22 is pushed to the right in Fig. 3 to cause its cam-like or inclined surfaces 22 to push the control-ling members 20 inwardly and thereby relieve the balls 19 from pressure against tubes 15, whereupon the springs 10 will cause the member 2 to move away from member 1, such movement being limited by the projections 8*, 9 of the tubes 8, 9, the parts assuming the position shown in Fig. 4. The desired leaf or leaves 3 may then be removed from or inserted in the binder and the members 1, 2 may be reassembled for clamping them against the leaves in the binder by merely pushing the member 2 toward member 1 without requiring manipulation of the bar 22, because during the inward movement of the tubes 16 with respect to the tubes 15 the balls 19 will be relieved from the tubes 15, as before stated. As soon as the manual pressure is relieved from member 2 the springs 17 will cause the heads 20 of the controlling members 20 to force the balls 19 against the tubes 15 to lock the tubes 15 and 16 together and thereby keep the leaves clamped between the members 1 and 2.

While I have illustrated tubes 8 and 9 as additional to the locking tubes 15 and 16 it will be understood that the binder may be made without the tubes 8, 9 and the springs 10 therein, and that the tubes 15 and 16 may )erforn'i the function of guiding and locking tubes for the members 1 and 2, suitable means being provided to prevent sepa "ation of the tubes 15 and 16, such as by applying steps on said tubes in proper relation corresponding to the bent ends 8 and 9 of the tubes 8 and 9.

Having now described my invention, what I claim is 1. A loose leaf binder comprising clamping members, telescopic tubes respectively carried by said members, one of said tubes having a laterally disposed hole and having a longitudinal bore communicating with said hole, a controlling member operative in said bore and provided with an inwardly tapering stem at its inner portion located in operative relation to said hole, a friction member operative in said hole with relation to said tubes and to said tapering stem, and a spring within said bore cooperative with the corresponding tube and with the con trolling member to normally cause said stem to force the friction member against one of said tubes said tapering stem being in position to permit the clamping members to be moved toward one another without operation of said controlling member.

2. A loose leaf binder as set forth in claim 1, provided with a bar having a portion to engage said controlling member to push it inwardly within the corresponding tube to displace its stem with respect to the friction member to release the latter from locking relation to said tubes.

3. A loose leaf binder comprising clamping members, telescopic tubes respectively carried by said members, one of said tubes having a laterally disposed hole and having a longitudinal bore comnninicating with said hole, a shoulder within said bore, a spiral. spring within said bore resting against said shoulder, a controlling member operative within said spring and provided with ahead at its outer end cooperative with said spring, said controlling member having a tapering stem at its inner portion located in operative relation to said hole, a friction member operative within said hole with relation to said tubes and to said stem, said friction member being located in position to cooperate with said tapering stem to release the tubes when one member is moved toward the other member, and means to actuate said controlling member against said spring to release said friction member from cooperation with said tubes.

1-. A loose leaf binder as set forth in claim 3, in which the means to actuate the controlling member comprises a slidable bar having an inclined portion operative over the controlling member to push it inwardly when the bar moves in one direction to release the friction member from the tubes, said bar releasing said member when the bar moves in the other direction.

HARRY J. SILVERMAN. 

